Quilt as You Go (QAYG) Again!

This is another version of QAYG.  I had tons of the 2 1/2 in strips in these colors so just used them.  This is not my color pallette and I will be happy to give this one away.  It is 40 x 50 instead of my usual 40 x 60 in as I just didn't like working with the colors.  I may do a more random one the next time as I have a ton of scraps and won't attempt to arrange it.

This is the back of the quillt.

This is the beginning of another quilt.  I showed my  EQ8 image a couple of days ago.  There will be black sashing.

There will be three more rows making it my usual 40 x 60 inches when finished.  As hard as I have tried, I never seem to get that center block exactly in the center or maybe it is my trimming that is at fault.  Close enough I guess!  I do like this pattern.  I have an idea for another variation too. 

You would think after using over 100 of my 10 in square pieces of fabric, the bin would look just a little bit emptier but no...

There is no hope for the bins of 5 in squares as I have 100's and 100's of them!

 

Quilt as You Go Continued!

This was my first thoughts about how to arrange the blocks and here I am testing 3 different sashing colors -- black, red or green.  I decided to go with the black.  All the blocks are complete here but not sewn together as it looks awfully busy and nothing seems to unify it.  Each of the blocks is of course 10 inches!  The middle blocks are 5 inch squares.

I decided to try the more traditional arrangement to help unify it a bit more and I think it works better.  If I had been consisted with one of the sets of strips in each block, the previous arrangement might have worked better.  This is okay.

Here I started to apply the sashing which is black on the front and the back.

All sewn together except for the binding which will be black as well.  Quilt will measure 40 in by 60 in and will go to one of the charity groups.

And, of course, here is the back!


 

A Different QAYG -- In Fact Three different Ones!

This is one of the alternate ones in process.  Here I am testing what I will use for sashing.  I also tried red and green but think I will probably go with the black.  This has been a challenge as I need 2 1/2 strips and the color selection up here in NY is not all that great!  I will be incorporating more yeillow and red and will try to find some more blue somewhere.  After I did the

first two blocks, I was convinced this wouldn't work but with a little tweaking, I think it will be okay.

This is one of the quilts I tried out in Electric Quilt 8.  I have used this software since buying EQ1 directly from the designers in Houston in the early 90s!  It has gotten more and more sophisticated over the years!  This is totally out of 2 1/2 in strips but could use miscellaneous size strips as well.  I think it is wise to be consistent with the middle strip though to kind of bring it together which is why the above quilt has been so challenging -- no unifying element which I think is important in scrap quilts.

I was trying to find some ways to use all those 5 inch squares I have and decided on this one -- again 10 inch squares like the above.  The white stripe is 1 3/4 inches wide finishing 1 1/4 inches. The outer strips will again be 2 1/2 in strips.

Here I substituted the black for the white strip.  May try both!
 

    

Second "Quilt As You Go" (QAYG) Almost Done and How I Do them!

 

1.  Place the one inch strip of the sashing for the right side on top and a folded 1 5/8 in strip of the sashing for the back on the right hand edge of the first square, making sure the open edge of the back sashing is at the edge of the square.  Pin in 3 places.

2.  Sew through all the pieces 1/4 inch from the edge.

3. Take the second square and arrange the top sashing along the edge, again placing three pins and then sew in place a 1/4 in from the edge.  This leaves 1/2 in of sashing on the front all finished.  Now to finish the sashing on the back.

This is how it should look at this point with the second seam in the front sashing completed.

4.  Now open up the two squares and pin down the back sashing in three places and sew fairly close to the right edge making sure you have matching thread on the back and the front.

This is what the back looks like finished.

If you are really likely, you can get the sewing right in the ditch but here it is on the front sashing and sometimes it sits on the finished part of the block.  It really doesn't show too much if you use thread that is a neutral on the front.

Once you have all the rows completed, do the same steps to sew the rows together.  The only additional thing to be mindful of is that try your best to get the vertical sashing lined up, both front and back.  I am sometimes more successful at that than others but again, it is a little annoying but probably not too bad!

Here is the front except for the binding for QAYG2.  I used blue sashing for this one and will use the same fabric for the binding.

This is the back of QAYG2 and I used all different squares for this one but still didn't arrange them in any kind of order.